TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo men's basketball team (9-5, 0-1 MAC) looks to bounce back from Tuesday's 90-83 defeat to Ball State when it hosts Western Michigan (4-10, 0-1 MAC) on Friday, Jan. 6 in a nationally-televised game at 6:30 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network. UT's meeting vs. WMU is the only matchup between the Rockets and Broncos this season.

Toledo nearly rallied from a 13-point deficit against BSU in Tuesday's MAC opener but couldn't quite complete its comeback. RayJ Dennis paced the Rockets with 21 points and six assists, while Dante Maddox Jr. contributed 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds. WMU also nearly rallied for a win in its league opener in an 80-72 setback at Kent State. The Broncos trailed 72-55 before coming as close as two points down the stretch.

Toledo is ranked ninth nationally with a MAC-best 84.9 ppg and also leads the MAC with 14.9 apg and a 1.38 assist/turnover ratio. The Rockets are second with a 48.7 field-goal percentage, a 37.6 three-point FG% and a plus-2.4 turnover margin.

Individually, RayJ Dennis ranks third in the MAC with 19.2 ppg. He is also 12th in the nation with 6.0 apg and 25th with a 2.9 assist/turnover ratio. JT Shumate is tied for fourth in league scoring at 18.8 ppg and is the only player in the MAC to rank in the Top 10 in FG% (57.6/4th), three-point FG% (41.0/7th) and FT% (88.9/T-3rd).

Western Michigan is paced offensively by senior Lamar Norman Jr. with 17.3 ppg. Senior Tray Maddox Jr. is averaging 11.8 ppg and scored a team-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and a team-high five assists on Tuesday at Kent State

Toledo has swept its season series with Western Michigan each of the last five years and has won its last 11 meetings vs. the Broncos. The Rockets posted a 83-56 home victory and a 92-50 road win over WMU last year. Setric Millner Jr. scored a career-high 28 points in UT's win in Kalamazoo.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
Tip-Off: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Toledo, Ohio.
Arena: Savage Arena (7,014).
TV: CBS Sports Network. Chick Hernandez will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Steve Wolf serving as analyst.
Radio: Rocket Radio Network. WSPD (1370 AM) in Toledo. Mark Beier will provide play-by-play for broadcast with Jay Lehman serving as analyst.
 
SERIES
Toledo leads 92-63. Toledo has swept the season series vs. the Broncos each of the last five years and has has won 11 consecutive games vs. WMU.
 
HIGH-SCORING TRIO(S)
     Toledo's Ryan Rollins, JT Shumate and Setric Millner Jr. made up the top scoring trio in the MAC last year with 48.9 ppg. Ohio's trio of Mark Sears, Ben Vander Plas and Jason Carter ranked second at 47.5 ppg with all three departing the Bobcats after last season.
     This year, Ray Dennis (19.2 ppg) has combined with Shumate (18.8 ppg) and Millner, Jr. (14.6 ppg) to average a league-best 52.6 ppg.
 
ROCKETS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
•  Toledo ranks ninth in the nation with 84.9 ppg.
•  The Rockets are also in the Top 45 in fewest turnovers/game (24th/10.8), FG% (30th/48.7), A/TO ratio (35th/1.39), FT% (39th/75.3), and three-point FG% (42nd/37.6).
•  RayJ Dennis ranks 12th with a career-high 6.0 apg and 27th with a 2.90 assist/turnover ratio.
•  JT Shumate ranks 31st with an 88.9 FT% and 44th with a 57.6 FG%.
 
ROCKETS IN THE MAC RANKINGS
•  Toledo leads the MAC with 84.9 ppg, over six points better than Buffalo (78.6), and is also first in assists/game (14.9), A/TO ratio (1.38) and fewest turnovers/game (10.8).
•  The Rockets are also second with a 48.7 FG%, a 37.6 3PTFG%, and a plus-2.36 turnover margin.
•  UT is the only school to have three players among the MAC's Top 15 scoring leaders — RayJ Dennis (19.2/3rd), JT Shumate (18.8/T-4th), and Setric Millner Jr. (14.6 ppg/10th).
•  Dennis leads the MAC with 6.0 apg and a 2.9 assist/turnover ratio.
•  Shumate is the only player in the MAC to rank in the Top 10 in FG% (57.6/4th), 3PTFG% (41.0%/7th) and FT% (88.9/T-3rd).
•  Dennis and Shumate are tied for first in the MAC with eight 20-point outings. BGSU's Leon Ayers and NIU's Keshawn Williams are tied for third with six 20-point contests.
•  Millner Jr is sixth with 7.0 rpg.
•  Dante Maddox Jr. is sixth in the MAC with a team-best 41.2 three-point FG%.
 
ON THE HORIZON
The Rockets will hit the road for their next two contests. Toledo will visit Kent State (11-3, 1-0 MAC) on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 7:00 p.m. before heading to DeKalb, Ill. to meet Northern Illinois (4-10, 0-1 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 3:30 p.m. CT.